What Are Soft Fiber Ceiling Tiles and What Makes PerfoAudile™ Different?

Soft fiber ceiling tiles are acoustic ceiling panels made from compressed fibrous materials — polyester fibre, mineral fiber, or engineered composite blends — formed into rigid tiles that fit standard suspended T-grid ceiling systems. Unlike conventional gypsum tiles, which are dense and reflective, soft fiber tiles have a porous internal structure that absorbs sound energy rather than bouncing it back into the room.

The PerfoAudile™ range goes a step further. Rather than relying on simple surface porosity alone, these tiles use a micro-perforated MDF or HDHMR face panel over a compressed acoustic fleece backing — a dual-layer construction that simultaneously:

Allows sound to pass through the perforated face into the absorptive backing layer, where it is converted to heat through viscous friction in the fibre matrix.

Presents a smooth, uniform, aesthetically finished surface that reads as a premium ceiling finish, not as an acoustic treatment panel. The perforations are precisely sized and spaced to be visually minimal while maximising acoustic transmissibility — sound waves see an open surface; the human eye sees a finished ceiling.

Maintains structural rigidity across the full tile span, eliminating the sag and delamination risk that affects lower-density soft fiber products in humid Indian conditions.

The result is a ceiling tile that delivers NRC 0.90 — among the highest values achievable in a T-grid ceiling tile format — while looking like a high-end architectural ceiling finish. This combination is what competitors in this category cannot match: they offer either high NRC with a utilitarian appearance, or good aesthetics with moderate NRC. PerfoAudile™ delivers both.

PerfoAudile™ Soft Fiber Ceiling Tile: Full Technical Specifications

Why NRC 0.90 Changes the Acoustic Experience in Any Space

NRC — Noise Reduction Coefficient — is the standardised measure of how much sound energy a surface absorbs across key frequencies. A tile with NRC 0.10 (a painted gypsum tile) reflects 90 percent of incident sound back into the room. A PerfoAudile™ tile with NRC 0.90 absorbs 90 percent — nine times the acoustic work in the same ceiling area.

In a 10 × 15 metre open-plan office with a 3 metre ceiling height, replacing a painted gypsum ceiling with PerfoAudile™ soft fiber tiles typically reduces reverberation time from over 1.5 seconds to under 0.6 seconds. That is the difference between a space where background conversations create a constant noise cloud and one where individual voices are clear and distinct, where phone calls are intelligible, and where employees finish the day less fatigued.

The figures matter because they are calculable. Using the Sabine equation for room acoustics, NRC 0.90 ceiling coverage in a standard commercial room reliably delivers:

Reverberation time reduction from the 1.0 to 2.0 second range typical of hard-surfaced rooms to the 0.4 to 0.7 second range recommended for offices, classrooms, and healthcare spaces by IS standards and WHO guidelines.

Background noise level reduction of 4 to 8 dB in reverberant fields — which, on the logarithmic dB scale, translates to a perceived reduction in noise that is immediately noticeable without any acoustic measurement equipment.

Speech intelligibility improvement measured as a meaningful increase in Speech Transmission Index (STI) — the metric that governs how clearly spoken words are understood across a room. This is the number that matters in classrooms, conference rooms, and any space where communication is the primary function.

Our acoustic consultants calculate these outcomes for your specific room dimensions, ceiling height, and existing surface finishes before you purchase — so you know the acoustic result you are buying, not just the product.

Edge Profiles Explained: Square, Tegular, and Concealed

The edge profile of a ceiling tile determines how the tile interfaces with the T-grid system and what the ceiling looks like at tile junctions. Choosing the right profile for your project is partly aesthetic, partly practical.

• Square Edge is the most economical option and the most widely used in India. The tile sits flush in the T-grid with the grid visible at every junction. This is the standard specification for most commercial, educational, and healthcare interiors where cost-efficiency takes priority.
• Tegular Edge creates a shadow line at each tile junction, giving the ceiling a more three-dimensional, premium appearance. The tile face drops slightly below the grid level, creating a stepped profile that architecturally reads as a more intentional, designed ceiling. Widely used in corporate offices, hotels, and retail interiors.
• Concealed Edge (lay-in concealed) hides the grid entirely, creating the appearance of a continuous ceiling plane with no visible junction lines. This is the most premium option and is specified for high-end hospitality and executive interior applications where the ceiling grid aesthetic is undesirable.

All three profiles are compatible with standard suspended ceiling grid systems and can be combined with integrated lighting, HVAC diffusers, sprinkler heads, and other ceiling services without acoustic compromise — provided penetration seals are correctly detailed.

Surface Finishes and Customisation: Beyond the Standard White Tile

One of the most common misconceptions about acoustic ceiling tiles is that they are all white, all the same, and all institutional in appearance. PerfoAudile™ tiles are manufactured in a range of finishes and can be customised to integrate with any interior design scheme.

• White textured finish is the standard specification — a clean, bright surface that maximises light reflectance (LR ≥ 0.80) and creates a professional, neutral ceiling appearance. This is the specification for most commercial offices, schools, and healthcare facilities.
• Smooth painted finish is available for applications where a more contemporary, less textured appearance is required. Paint finish must be acoustically transparent — we use water-based, air-permeable coatings that do not seal the perforations or reduce NRC performance.
• Laminate finish is the premium choice for hospitality and corporate interiors. Wood grain laminates, solid colour laminates, and metallic laminates can be applied to the tile face while maintaining the acoustic performance of the perforation and backing system.
• Digital printed finish allows any graphic, pattern, brand image, or custom design to be printed directly onto the tile face. This is increasingly specified for corporate reception areas, branded retail environments, and educational spaces where the ceiling becomes a design and communication element rather than simply a functional surface.
• Custom perforation patterns — including logos, geometric patterns, and bespoke perforation geometries — are available for projects where the tile design itself is a visual feature of the interior.

Where PerfoAudile™ Soft Fiber Ceiling Tiles Are Specified

Corporate Offices and Open-Plan Workspaces

The ceiling is the single most impactful acoustic intervention in an open-plan office. Walls cannot be treated extensively without disrupting the openness of the floor plan. The floor is covered by carpet or hard flooring with limited absorption. But the ceiling covers 100 percent of the floor area and is the primary first-reflection surface for sound from seated occupants and workstations below.

PerfoAudile™ tiles installed across the full ceiling area of an open-plan office, combined with selective acoustic wall panel treatment at key reflection points, typically achieve the target reverberation time of 0.4 to 0.6 seconds recommended by LEED v4.1 and WELL Building Standard v2 for open office environments. This is the acoustic specification that attracts premium corporate tenants and supports measurable employee wellbeing and productivity outcomes.

For meeting rooms and private offices branching off the open plan, pair soft fiber ceiling tiles with our AcoFascia™ acoustic divider partitions and Sonicguard™ acoustic wooden doors for a complete acoustic envelope that controls both reverberation within the meeting room and isolation from the open floor.

Educational Institutions: Schools and Universities

Classroom acoustic standards in India are defined by NBC 2016 and aligned with WHO recommendations: a maximum reverberation time of 0.6 seconds and a background noise floor below 35 dB(A) in occupied classrooms. Standard school construction with plaster or concrete ceilings routinely produces reverberation times of 1.2 to 1.8 seconds — conditions under which children with any degree of hearing difficulty, children learning in English as a second language, and young learners in early primary education struggle to follow spoken instruction.

PerfoAudile™ soft fiber ceiling tiles address the reverberation component directly and immediately. In a typical 9 × 8 metre classroom with a 3 metre ceiling height, tiling the full ceiling with NRC 0.90 PerfoAudile™ tiles reduces reverberation time to the 0.5 to 0.7 second range — within or close to the WHO recommended band. The improvement in learning outcomes in treated versus untreated classrooms is measurable, and the investment in acoustic ceiling tiles pays for itself quickly in educational performance and reduced teacher vocal strain.

Healthcare Facilities: Hospitals, Clinics, and Diagnostic Centres

Noise in clinical environments is a patient safety and staff wellbeing concern. ICU noise levels consistently exceed 55 dB(A) in Indian hospitals with conventional ceiling finishes, and research links sustained noise exposure above this threshold to delayed patient recovery, disrupted sleep, and increased medication administration errors by nursing staff.

Soft fiber ceiling tiles in clinical spaces reduce the reverberant component of the noise environment — the sound that bounces off the ceiling and walls and builds up into an undifferentiated noise cloud. The formaldehyde-free, low-VOC construction of PerfoAudile™ tiles meets the material safety requirements of healthcare environments, and fire-rated variants comply with the fire safety requirements applicable to patient areas.

In patient rooms and wards, ceiling tile treatment reduces the intrusive quality of corridor noise and equipment alarms. In waiting areas, reduced reverberation lowers the perceived noise level even when many people are present. In consultation rooms, improved speech clarity supports doctor-patient communication and patient privacy.

Hospitality: Hotels, Restaurants, and Banquet Facilities

Acoustic comfort is a guest experience metric in hospitality. Guests who cannot converse comfortably in a restaurant, who can hear the next room through a hotel ceiling, or who find a conference room acoustically exhausting do not return and do not recommend. PerfoAudile™ tiles in hotel restaurants, lobby areas, and corridor ceilings reduce the reverberant noise floor that makes hospitality spaces feel loud, providing the acoustic comfort that five-star ratings require without compromising the interior design aesthetic.

For hotel meeting rooms and banquet halls, combine PerfoAudile™ ceiling tiles with our AcoFascia™ sliding and folding acoustic partitions to create flexible acoustic environments that perform whether the space is configured as one large room or divided into multiple simultaneous meeting spaces.

Retail, Shopping Malls, and Public Spaces

Hard-surfaced retail environments — marble floors, glass frontages, concrete ceilings — create highly reverberant acoustic conditions that make the space feel chaotic, impair communication between staff and customers, and accelerate customer fatigue. PerfoAudile™ tiles in retail ceilings reduce this reverberant field without restricting the openness and visibility that retail design requires. The high light reflectance (LR ≥ 0.80) of PerfoAudile™ tiles also contributes to improved lighting efficiency — reducing the number of luminaires required to achieve target lux levels and contributing to energy savings.

Home Theatres and Premium Residential

For the residential client investing in a dedicated home theatre, media room, or music listening room, a soft fiber acoustic ceiling tile is the single most cost-effective ceiling treatment available. NRC 0.90 performance at ceiling tile budget — significantly more cost-effective than custom-fabricated acoustic panels — combined with the clean appearance of a standard suspended ceiling grid, makes PerfoAudile™ tiles the practical choice for serious home entertainment acoustic design.

Soft Fiber vs. Mineral Fiber vs. Gypsum: Which Ceiling Tile Is Right for Your Project?

The Indian ceiling tile market offers multiple material categories. Here is the honest comparison that helps you specify correctly.

When gypsum is appropriate: Fire-rated areas where acoustic performance is not a specification requirement.

When mineral fiber is appropriate: Budget-constrained commercial interiors where moderate acoustic improvement (NRC 0.55 to 0.75) is acceptable and the cost of soft fiber tiles is a constraint.

When PerfoAudile™ soft fiber is the correct specification: Any project where acoustic performance is a defined requirement — offices, schools, healthcare, hospitality, home theatre — and where NRC 0.90 is the target. Also the correct specification wherever formaldehyde-free, low-VOC materials are a client, green building, or healthcare requirement.

Installation: Straightforward T-Grid Compatibility

PerfoAudile™ soft fiber ceiling tiles are designed for drop-in installation in any standard 24 mm T-grid suspended ceiling system — the same grid used for conventional mineral fiber or gypsum tiles. If your project already has a suspended ceiling grid, or if the grid is being installed as part of a new fit-out, PerfoAudile™ tiles install without any specialist tools or techniques.

The installation sequence:

Grid installation: A suspended aluminium T-grid framework is hung from the structural ceiling using hanger wires at standard centres. The grid is levelled and aligned across the space. All major Indian fit-out contractors are familiar with this system.

Perimeter condition: A wall angle section is fixed around the room perimeter at the specified ceiling height to support the edge tiles and create a clean junction with the wall.

Tile placement: Tiles are placed into the grid openings from below, resting on the T-grid flanges. No adhesive, screws, or fixings are required for standard lay-in installation. Concealed-edge profiles clip to the grid for a cleaner aesthetic.

Cutting for edges and penetrations: Tiles are easily cut with a fine-toothed handsaw or utility knife to fit perimeter dimensions and around ceiling penetrations (lights, HVAC diffusers, sprinkler heads). Cut edges can be finished with touch-up paint supplied by Packsound.

Service integration: Lighting, HVAC supply and return diffusers, fire suppression sprinkler heads, data ports, and PA speakers can all be integrated into the ceiling grid without acoustic compromise, provided penetrations do not represent a significant proportion of the ceiling area.

Tile replacement: Individual tiles can be removed and replaced without disturbing adjacent tiles or the grid framework — an important maintenance advantage in healthcare and commercial environments where above-ceiling access for services is a recurring requirement.

Why Packsound for Soft Fiber Ceiling Tiles?

Manufacturer-direct supply. Packsound is a brand of Ecotone Acoustic Limited, a dedicated acoustic products manufacturer. You purchase PerfoAudile™ tiles directly from the manufacturer — with no distributor margin and with direct access to our technical team for specification support.

Certified NRC 0.90 performance. Our NRC values are backed by third-party laboratory testing, not manufacturer estimates. Full test certificates are supplied with every project order.

Formaldehyde-free, low-VOC construction. PerfoAudile™ tiles are manufactured without formaldehyde binders and with low-VOC facing materials. This is the material specification required for LEED, WELL, and healthcare projects — and the specification that responsible clients demand for any occupied space.

Custom sizes, finishes, and perforation patterns. Standard grid dimensions are the starting point. We manufacture tiles in any size and in a range of finishes — from standard white textured to custom laminate, digital print, and bespoke perforation patterns — to meet the specific requirements of your interior design scheme.

Complete ceiling acoustic capability. Soft fiber ceiling tiles address reverberation control across the ceiling plane. For spaces requiring suspended elements above open areas, exposed structure ceilings, or feature ceiling installations, our complete ceiling acoustic range includes acoustic baffles, acoustic clouds, FeatherLite ceiling tiles, AirLite ceiling tiles, and metal ceiling tiles — all specified by the same acoustic team under the same supply relationship.

Pan-India delivery and installation support. We supply and support projects across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, and all major Indian cities, with technical support at every stage from specification through installation.